Ionization (Slight M)

Another chapter, another chance for me to talk about how much I love Yossele. In all seriousness, this chapter is interesting both in how it introduces a new character and how Matties ideals from her Plasma days conflict with the ideals presented by people in a region mostly unaffected by the conflict. Also, its interesting to see how pokemon fighting happens in this fanfiction, and how Yossele and Ally can fight without overpowering the other pokemon like with the last battle. Blake seems like a character who can serve to challenge Mattie's views on the world in an interesting manner. Also, I particularly enjoyed the humor in this chapter, especially with the first meeting of Blake and Mattie. Overall, this is a very nice chapter, and I can't wait to see more!

Review of chapter 4 for Bookclub

PTSD and gym leaders. 

I'm starting to enjoy Mattie as a main character. Like I've said, I like the dynamic of her being ex-Plasma. But now with some backstory slowly showing itself, her story is starting to get tied together rather nicely. 

Blake for this chapter seemed to be more of a background character then anything, however I don't really mind because not every chapter has to focus on certain characters. However I am hoping to see more to Blake later on a personal level. 

Also a Zubat for Mattie is an interesting choice, maybe things will pan out more for it in the future.

I just wish that this chapter had a little more to it, but all in all, decent chapter. 

Heyya, this is by far the longest chapter I've ever written! But it's a Gym Battle chapter, so it was still super fun to write. I hope you all enjoy!



In the two days before my Gym Battle with Fantina, I learn quite a bit. Not just about Fantina, and what she brings to the table, but also my own team.

For instance, Christine. She’s … a bit of a firebrand, actually. She’s incredibly eager to prove herself, kick all the ass, and she doesn’t even need any bubblegum or lack thereof as motivation. However, while she’s pretty strong, she’s not crazy experienced in the art of fighting. That much is demonstrated pretty quickly when, in a quick sparring match between Christine and a Gym Trainer’s drifloon, she kinda gets her butt kicked. She’s a bit slow, about on par with Yossele, and against a drifloon, that’s tough. The ralts gets knocked around and battered by her opponent’s sheer speed, and her Ghost weakness doesn’t exactly help. She’s able to let loose a couple of Psybeams, though, and her Double Team and Teleport combo makes the latter half of the battle more interesting.

She seems reluctant to use them, though. Dodging just doesn’t seem to be something she’s okay with.

“Christine, you gotta get out of there!” I shout. “Teleport away from the Shadow Ball!”

But she digs in her heels, giving me a scowl before starting the Teleport motion. However, before she can bamf away, she’s slammed in the side by an orb of shadowy energy, knocking her to the ground.

“Stop, stop, she’s done!” I exclaim, rushing to Christine’s side with a Potion in hand. I start administering the solution to dress her wounds, but as soon as I do, she slaps her hand against my arm.



“Christine, it’s okay!” I say to her. “You just didn’t get that one, that’s all. Next time, maybe focus on dodging a bit more.”


“Yeah, but you can keep yourself from getting hit if you dodge. Even Yossele does that, and he’s a literal statue!” I motion for Yossele, who’s watching from the side, to come forward. “Yosie, tell her.”

He lets out a low rumble-laugh, then kneels down and begins to let out some low creaking. Christine places a hand on Yosie’s wrist. The two are somewhat quiet for a moment. As they’re conversing, the drifloon’s Trainer, Mackenzie, walks over to me. She’s a taller woman, with short brown hair held back by a pink bobby pin.

“You want my opinion?” she whispers to me.

“That’s … sorta why I came to you, yes,” I respond. The two of us giggle a little bit at that.

“Okay, real talk, I think that your ralts is pretty strong,” she continues. “If this were any other Gym in Sinnoh, I’d say she’d be a great addition to your team. However…”

“She’s a Psychic-type, so that might not be the best idea.”

“Well, neither is her Fairy-type, but that’s neither here nor there.” She leans in, maybe so that Christine can’t hear us. “Your other three pokémon, they’ve got this. Your golett is really strong, and from what you told me, considering how he did against Zeppelin, he should be fine.” She motions over to Jonathan and Raiju, who are off to the side playing tag. “Your golbat is, just, freakishly fast, and your luxio is relentless. Put those three together, and you’ve got a great team.” She turns back to me. “My recommendation? Have those three act as your team for this one.”

“Okay, sure,” I say, “but I also get the sense that Christine is a bit prideful. She’s not gonna take that info well.”

“Oh really?” she inquires. “How bad are you thinking?”

I look over to Yossele and Christine. Christine is very clearly scowling at him, her cheeks puffed out and her free arms waving up and down like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

“I think the phrase ‘kicking and screaming’ comes to mind,” I sigh. “Even though I completely agree.”

“Oof. Yeah, we’ve seen this sort of thing before, especially with new members of a team eager to prove themselves.” Mackenzie crosses her arms. “Has she had a chance to do that yet?”

“No, and I feel really bad about it,” I respond. “Like, I’ve given it a lot of thought, and the first time I met her, I was super patronizing and –”

“Stop, stop, you’re acting like you’re a villain or something!” Mackenzie laughs. “I get it, you’re worried, but I think you’re better off than you think. The best thing you can do right now is to be honest with her. Ralts are smart. I’m confident she’ll understand.” She gives me a thumbs up, then takes a couple steps back.

Yossele, at this point, is standing once again, Christine no longer grabbing at his mud-brick form. I give him a look. {She is … confused, I believe,} he signs. {Perhaps it would be wise of you to speak with her. I am not efficient at adapting to emotional speech.}

{No worries, I’m sure you did fine,} I respond. I bend down and pick Christine up into my arms. She’s surprisingly light, but squirms around in my hands for a second before calming down. “You have a good talk with Yosie?”


I mentally slap myself in the face. Of course she heard us, we weren’t being fucking subtle! “Yeah, that was rude,” I say. “I’m really sorry about that.” I set her down. “However, you didn’t exactly answer my question.” My arms cross as I look at her intently. “Did you learn something from Yossele?”

The ralts stares daggers at me, and after a bit of awkward silence, turns away from me in a huff, letting out an annoyed squeak. In an instant, I see what she was trying to do. She was trying to guilt me into battling. And I think back to a few days ago, and of course she remembers how I reacted when Aiden called me out. That’s … holy shit, I actually don’t know how to react to this.

“Okay, little lady, I see what you’re trying to do here,” I exclaim, sweeping her off the ground. And oh boy is she squirming. She knows the jig is up, as she’s fighting to escape my grip with everything her tiny body will allow. But I’m a little too strong for her, and eventually, she seems to calm down, waiting for me to continue with a sullen look on her face.

“So, just to let you know,” I continue, “trying to guilt-trip me into letting you battle isn’t gonna work. Like, at all. Do you understand that?”


“Yeah, you are, I’m not denying that, but if you heard my conversation with Mackenzie like you feel you did, you know my reasons! I don’t want you to get hurt unnecessarily –”


“But is it the smart thing to do, Chrissy?” There’s a pause. Neither of us respond for a few seconds. Christine looks like she’s actually mulling it over. That’s good, actually. Emotions don’t rule over her. “Think about it for a sec,” I continue, lowering my voice. “I know you’re strong, but you’re not the best at listening to what I’m saying during a battle. Trying to manipulate me earlier isn’t doing you any favors, either.” I let out a little chuckle. “So right now, at this moment in our relationship, do you think it would be smart, on either of our parts, to have you face off with Fantina?”


“No one’s saying you’re not, Christine,” I say. “But right now, for this battle, I just think that Yosie, Jonnie, and Raiju are better suited for the battle.” I bring her in closer and place her on my shoulders. “And guess what? This is just one battle. There are gonna be tons more before this journey’s over, and you’re gonna have loads of time to show off. However, for this one battle, I want you to be with me on the Challenger’s podium and be paying attention. Watch and listen to how the battle goes down, and see how my other friends operate with me as we fight.” I reach over and pat her on the head. “Because if my mom taught me anything, it’s that in a battle, you don’t just win through brute power and toughness. You win when there’s a bond of trust between human and pokémon. I want that between us. Do you?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice something begin to glow behind me. I place a hand on my shoulder, and feel Christine’s body begin to grow and shift. The weight on my back gets slightly heavier as her form expands and grows sturdier. The light fades.

And as the newly evolved kirlia on my shoulders places her hand on my shoulder, the feelings sent my way are clearer, more tactile, like I’m starting to grasp her actual thoughts.



The morning of the Gym Battle arrives, and the energy amongst my team is palpable. The previous night, I’d had a talk with my team, really hammering home everything we’ve learned over the past few days, and my friends are all organized and ready to go. Raiju, in particular, is practically bouncing off the walls in anticipation. Jonnie and Christine, meanwhile, are sorta fighting over who gets to rest on my shoulders. (Apparently Christine likes piggyback rides. Who knew?) And Yossele?

Cool as a cucumber. Same as always.

It’s a bit of an odd picture when Cynthia and Aiden meet me outside the guest room. I’ve got my packed bags, I’m flanked by my pokémon, it looks a little bit try-hard, I guess you can say. It’s a bit of a relief to see that Aiden’s got her bags packed as well.

“You feelin’ good, Mattie?” Aiden asks. “You ready to kick some Fantina butt?”

“I mean, as ready as I can be,” I respond. “Trained a bit, and I finally came to an understanding with this goober.” I reach up to pat Christine on the head. “So, yeah, as set as I can be.”

“And do you promise not to fangirl too much over Fantina the whole time?” Cynthia chimes in.

“Of course!” I exclaim. “I think I’ve done pretty well about not being the overly-obsessive fan while I’ve been here.”

“Oh, is that why you’ve got an unopened copy of Ghostly Blues in your hoodie pocket?”

My hands immediately shoot to my front pocket, trying desperately to hide the Blu-Ray that’s poking out. “I-It’s not what it looks like!” I shout. “I-I’m just a big fan, and she’s here, s-so I thought that, y’know, she could sign a copy.”

Aiden giggles at that. “And how many copies do you own?” she inquires.

My face grows hot. “I don’t need to tell you that.”

The two of them start breaking into hysterics, and, yeah, it is pretty funny, so I’m laughing with them as we walk from the house proper to the stadium.

For the record, by the way, it’s 4, I have 4 copies. VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K. I can’t resist. Such a good film.

When we get to the stadium proper, I’m a bit surprised to see people sitting in the bleachers surrounding the arena. Quite frankly, I’m surprised there are even seats, let alone enough interest to fill them, but, yeah, there are people in the stands. It’s not exactly full, per se, but there are some teens, a couple of kids with their parents, some people with their pokémon. Heck, I even think I see Tali and her audino sitting off to a side.

It’s a little nerve wracking, to say the least.

“Are … are there usually this many people here?” I whisper to Cynthia.

“No, the seats are usually a bit more full than this,” she replies, “but it’s right after the Contest Festival, and people are pretty tired. This is pretty normal.” She cocks an eyebrow. “I thought you would be a little more used to –”

“SHSH!” I exclaim, trying to get her to stop talking. “I didn’t, y’know, actually go to that many gatherings,” I continue in a hushed tone. “I was an organizer, I planned events. Never really liked crowds that much.”

“Oh, right, that makes sense, sorry,” she responds, a bit sheepishly. “Anyway, good luck, I’ll be rooting for both of you, but I need to get to the stands.”

“You’re not gonna preside over the battle like you did before?” I ask.

“I’ll be honest, if I did, that would almost be more of a spectacle than the Gym Battle itself.” She smiles, and it’s the first time I notice the subtle crow’s feet at the sides of her eyes. “I was Champion for almost twenty years. My time in the spotlight is done, if I can help it. For private matches, it’s alright. But for this, for an official match?” She pats me on the shoulder. “I’ll be content with just being an audience member.” And with that, she leaves my side and heads to the stands.

“You got this Mattie!” Aiden cheers as she joins Cynthia in the stands. I turn away with a wave, trying to hide how red my cheeks are. I turn to my team, who are gathered around me on the pedestal.

“Alright, Yosie, let’s go over the plan as we have it,” I say. “You’re holding anchor, just like with Oreburgh.”

{Correct,} he responds. {However, I notice that you have not mentioned any other positions for the other two.}

“Yeah, that’s because it’s a little more variable,” I say. “And really, it’s because of Zeppelin. I want Raiju to face her, but I don’t know if she’s gonna start with her or someone else.” I turn to the golbat and luxio looking expectantly at me. “So if it’s Zeppelin first, we go Raiju first. Anyone else, we’ll improvise. Sound good?” The two nod, Raiju’s face stern and focused, and Jonnie just happy to be there.

{You do not have a true plan?} Yossele signs. {This is new.}

“Yeah, but I get the feeling that this is gonna start to be more common as the battles get tougher. It’s just another thing we’ll have to get used to.”

{I understand.} He cracks his knuckles. {We will adapt, as we have always done.}

“That’s the spirit,” I say with a wink.

As I look to the other end of the arena, I hear the crowd begin to stir and murmur at some new arrivals. Fantina, dressed in her Contest outfit walks up to the Leader’s pedestal, followed closely behind by Mackenzie, the Gym Trainer from yesterday.

“Good morning, Mattie!” she calls from her stand. “You rested well, I hope?”

“Indeed I did,” I reply, “and I feel like I’m as ready as I can be!”

“Ah, magnifique!” she exclaims. “And may I say, little Christine is looking cute as a button today!” She gestures to the kirlia hanging onto my shoulders. “Will I have the pleasure of facing her today?”

“Unfortunately not, I’m afraid,” I say. “But the rest of my team is ready to go!”

“Ah, how unfortunate. And here I thought you would make things difficult for me!” The crowd chuckles a bit at that, and even I have to join in a little bit. I look up to Christine, however, and she’s less than enthused.


“Don’t worry, you’ll get your chance,” I reassure her. “Just watch and learn for now.” I turn back to Fantina. “I’ll be using three pokémon in the battle.”

“Parfaite, merci,” she responds. “Mackenzie, if you would be so kind as to watch over today’s battle?”

“No prob!” she exclaims, walking over to the side platform. “This match will be a 3-on-3 bout. Fantina, you’re first.”

“Of course, dear,” Fantina responds with a wink. “Let’s start with a familiar face, Mattie.” She summons a pokéball from her belt. “Let’s have some fun, Zeppelin!” The drifblim appears in a burst of blue light, and waves to the crowd with her ribbon-like arms. “She’s been eager to face your golett again. Is it going to be a rematch?”

“I mean, I think that would be interesting,” I reply, playing into the banter, “but…” I lift Raiju into my arms like a kid who just got a new pet. “Have you considered a battle with a good kitty instead?” Raiju lets out a quick caterwaul before wriggling out of my arms and landing in the arena. “Raiju’s been itching for a bout with Zeppelin. Yossele’s told him how strong she is, so I hope you impress him.”

“Well, who am I to refuse such an eager luxio his fun!” Fantina exclaims. “Mackenzie, whenever you’re ready.”

“Then let’s do it,” she responds. “Round one begins now!”

“Okay, Rai-Rai, just like we practiced!” I command. “Use Charge!”

Raiju’s fur begins to glow as he begins to immerse himself with electrical energy. He crouches low, ready to spring at Zeppelin at a moment’s notice.

“Oh, we can’t have that, can we?” Fantina retorts, a grin plastered on her face. “Zeppelin, Phantom Force!” At that, the drifblim seemingly blinks out of existence.

She took the bait.

“Raiju, get low and concentrate!” I exclaim. The luxio assumes an even deeper stance, letting the energy crackle from his fur to the ground. His tail swishes back-and-forth as he searches, his ears twitching. The crowd leans in, not sure of what’s happening. And then, just when the anticipation seems to be reaching a fever pitch…

Raiju wheels around to his back, his yellow eyes glowing, wrenching Zeppelin free from the shadow she’s about to leap from.

“Hell yeah, Rai-Rai!” I shout. “Give her a Bite attack for good measure!”

With a devilish grin, Raiju pounces on the drifblim, sinking his teeth into her inflated form. Zeppelin retaliates in an instant, inflating her body with a Stockpile and knocking the luxio off her.

“Alright, that was unexpected,” Fantina stammers, “but we’re not done yet! Zeppelin, Shadow Ball, keep your distance!”

Before I’m able to give a command, the drifblim hurls a ball of ectoplasmic energy at Raiju, which slams into his side and knocks him back a fair bit. However, with a catlike grace, he lands on his feet and hisses at the drifblim.

“That’s how you’re gonna play, huh?” I mutter. “Raiju, Signal Beam, disorient her!”

The glow in Raiju’s eyes brightens as a pulse of multicolored light blasts from his face. Zeppelin is unable to shield her own eyes in time, and from the way she’s hovering haphazardly, she’s seeing spots.

“Perfect, right where we want her!” I yell. “Raiju, Spark! Let’s knock her around a bit!”

“Zeppelin, Acrobatics, get out of there!” Fantina cries. But Raiju’s too fast, and the drifblim’s too confused. In her attempts to dodge out of the way, Zeppelin instead pushes her body closer to Raiju, who’s all too happy to ram her somewhat deflated body with his own. Electricity leaps from the feline to the drifblim as the full effect of the Charge from earlier takes effect. In a matter of moments, Zeppelin sags to the ground, nearly limp from the electrocution.

And she waves a hand in defeat.

“Zeppelin is unable to battle anymore!” Mackenzie announces. “The first round goes to Mattie!” The crowd gives some respectful applause as Raiju turns to me, sitting on his haunches all proud of himself.


“There you go,” I say to Christine. “I figured you’d be a fast learner.” I pat her on the head. “We’ll get you battling soon, don’t you worry.”

“I must say, I’m impressed!” I hear Fantina say. “Not many can counter a Phantom Force. I must know your secret!”

“Well,” I reply, “since Aiden shamed me into actually using the Pokédex app –” I give her a wink “– I learned that the shinx line has x-ray vision! How could I not take advantage of that?!”

“Very clever indeed,” Fantina replies, “but you’ll find this opponent a bit tougher.” She summons a green-and-black pokéball. “Show them your resilience, Juneau!”

Out of the pokéball, a huge, looming figure slams to the ground with a heavy thud. From the crater that’s formed in the arena, what can only be described as a massive anchor covered in green seaweed stares at Raiju, the wheel at its back turning to adjust the eye at its side. Upon getting a good look at Raiju, said eye narrows, and the creature lets out a low rumble as its seaweed extends to the floor, helping it stay upright.

“Well, that’s something you don’t see every day,” I mutter. “Rai-Rai, you feeling okay to keep going, or do you want to switch?” Raiju paws the ground, clearly not wanting to tap out just yet. “Okay, bud, I believe in you.” I turn to Fantina. “First a runerigus in your Contest a couple days ago, now a dhelmise? You have some exotic taste in pokémon!”

“What can I say, Ghost-type pokémon span the whole spectrum of weird and wonderful, and I love them for that,” she responds bombastically. “And I am ready to go as well. Mackenzie?”

“Alright, then, let the next match begin!”

“Okay, Raiju, Signal Beam first, knock it off balance!” I command.

“Don’t let him escape, Juneau!” Fantina counters. “Wrap him up!”

Though Raiju is able to blast the dhelmise’s rusted form with a Signal Beam, it doesn’t seem to faze it too much. Its singular eye narrows as the seaweed dig into the ground at frightening speed.

“Rai-Rai, get out of there!” I yell. However, it’s just not quick enough, as tendrils of green plantlife erupt from the ground, trapping Raiju in a cage of kelp.

“Good job, Juneau!” Fantina exclaims. “While he’s trapped, Gyro Ball, get in close!”

Like something out of Rubber, the dhelmise begins to roll around on its anchor like a wheel, closing the distance between it and Raiju. However, it doesn’t stop there, slamming its body into the luxio’s trapped form. He lets out a yelp of pain as Juneau digs into his side.

“Oh, shit, uh, give it a Bite while it’s there!” I shout. Raiju’s ears twitch as he tears himself out of the seaweed with his teeth, lunging at the dhelmise with fangs glowing white. In an almost feral state, he rips into the center of its anchor-like body. Bite after Bite after Bite he lands, and Juneau is just too slow to dodge.

“Juneau, get him off you! Shadow Ball!”

The dhelmise summons his own version of a ghostly orb, slamming into Raiju’s face and knocking him away, spinning, into the dirt. He lands hard on his side, and though he’s getting up, it’s slow, and a bit labored.

And Fantina definitely notices.

“He’s weak, Juneau!” she shouts. “Use Grassy Glide, finish him off!”

The dhelmise once again buries its tentacles in the ground, but instead of them bursting out around Raiju’s form, Juneau uses their hold in the dirt to throw himself headlong at the luxio. There’s nothing Raiju can do to dodge. The dhelmise slams into his side, knocking him directly into the wall.

And though he’s definitely moving, he’s not trying to get up.

“Raiju is no longer able to battle!,” Mackenzie says. “Juneau is the winner.”

I let out a sigh. “That was rough,” I mutter. I grab Raiju’s pokéball, recall him, and then reconjure him to my side, with Yossele spraying him with a Potion. “Nice job, buddy. Tough matchup, but you still did great.” I scratch him behind his ears, and he purrs in response. Battered though he may be, he’s still satisfied.

“Alright, Jonnie, you ready to go?” The golbat practically shoots up from the bar he was resting on and darts into the arena, where he starts his trademark flitting.

“Oh, you cheeky chicken!” Fantina laughs. “Are you really going to withhold Yossele until the very end?”

“Are you trying to deny Jonathan his fun?” I tease back, putting on a cheesy grin. “In fact, I’d hazard a guess that his panache and flashiness would appeal to you!”

“Then demonstrate that to me!” she exclaims, making a grand gesture. “You’ve been doing a wonderful job so far, is that not so?!” The captive audience begins to cheer at that, causing me to get all red with embarrassment, and –


I snap back to front. “Thank you for that,” I mumble. “We good to go?” I say to Mackenzie.

“Indeed we are,” she responds. “Let’s start round 3!”

“Okay, Jonnie, up in the air and stay there!” I shout.

“Try to keep him at your level, Juneau!” Fantina commands. “Wrap him up!”

The golbat swoops into the air just as the dhelmise’s seaweed vines erupt out of the ground. However, like a gunship maneuvering through laser fire, Jonathan is able to deftly juke and dive around every attempted assault. His normal high-flying antics are serving him well.

“While they’re occupied, Jonnie, flyby Poison Fang!”

I catch Jonnie licking his lips briefly in the air, coating his fangs in a sickly purple glow. Seeing an opening, he dives down towards Juneau and, right where Raiju had bitten them earlier, sinks his own fangs in. Everyone hears a sound like the creaking of a boat’s hull as Juneau cries out in pain, and the purple swelling on their form tells me the attack left an impression.

“While he’s close, Juneau, Wrap him up and knock him around a little!”

The kelpy vines return, and this time Jonnie’s just a bit too close to dodge. His body is entangled in the tentacles as Juneau repeatedly slams the golbat into the ground, all while slowly attempting to crush him.

However, I can’t help but notice –


“Good catch, Christine!” I silently cheer. “Jonnie, cut yourself free with Aerial Ace!”

Jonathan’s wings glow and sharpen like blades as he starts spinning like a top, whirling and slashing his way out of Juneau’s trap and freeing himself. Then, just for good measure, he arcs around and divebombs them multiple times, aiming right for the infected area. He then flies back up near the light fixtures at the top of the room, just to make sure he’s safe.

Juneau, for their part, topples over from sheer exhaustion.

The crowd begins cheering even more loudly as Fantina recalls the dhelmise. Jonathan is loving every second of this, flipping around and getting close to the crowd, immersing himself in their adulation. I do notice that he gets a sour look for a brief moment, but it doesn’t last long. He then flits over and steadies himself at our side of the arena, ready for the next fight.

“Okay, I think we’re ready to go!” I exclaim, looking to Jonathan for approval. He nods his head … body … whatever, a dopey grin on his face.

“Oh, are you now?” Fantina says, a small smile creeping onto her face. “Because you know that my next pokémon is the pièce de résistance of my team, right?”

Jonnie and I take a look at each other. Then I look at Yossele, who gives me a thumbs up. “We’re ready,” I say.

“Good,” Fantina chuckles. “Sing for me, Caoineadh!”

Almost as if fading into frame, a thin purple figure manifests from Fantina’s pokéball, floating serenely above the ground. Her red eyes, slightly obscured by the mage’s hat positioned on her head, are very calm, almost peaceful, as she gives a polite bow to the both of us.

I turn to Yossele. “Thankfully mismagius can’t fly around as quickly as driflbim, but we’re gonna need to be smart in case Jonnie isn’t able to win this.”

{Do not worry,} he responds, {I will just act like we planned.}

“All I can ask for.” I give him a wink, and he nods back.

“If you’re both ready,” Mackenzie interjects, “then let’s go!”

“Aerial Ace, get in close!” I command.

“Counter with Psybeam, throw him off!” Fantina shouts.

Jonnie lunges toward the mismagius, but though he’s able to get a slash in with his wings, Caoineadh is able to blast him with a psionic laser from her hat. The beam disorients the golbat, as I watch him flail in the air trying to clear his head.

“Jonnie, focus, you can do this!” I shout. “Try to hit her with an Absorb, get some energy back!”

“I’ll not have that happening!” Fantina retorts. “Power Gem, knock him to the ground.”

While Jonnie desperately tries to sink his teeth into Caoineadh’s fragile frame, the mismagius conjures psionic crystals from its jeweled necklace. The sharts slam precisely into his wings, slamming him into the dirt.

“Now, while he’s down, Shadow Ball!”

Once again, an orb of ectoplasm shoots into Jonnie’s body, and he has no energy left to dodge. When the dust eventually settles, he’s laying on the ground, wings waving in the air to signal defeat.

“Oof, that was a tough one,” I mutter. Grabbing Jonnie’s pokéball, I recall him back to the pedestal and apply a Potion to his bruises. “You did great, Jonnie, I’m really proud of you.” The golbat lets out a happy squeak at my praise. I give him a hug, then perch him back on the railing so he can continue watching if he so chooses.

“So!” I hear Fantina call. “We are each down to our last teammate. I believe that Yossele your ace as well! I look forward to seeing his full potential. And I think the rest of the crowd shares that sentiment, is that correct?” She gestures to the rest of the crowd, who begin cheering even louder.

“Do you always do this?” I ask with a smile.

“Darling, of course I do!” the Gym Leader exclaims. “If you’re participating in the Gym Challenge, there’s the chance that you might be thinking of the tournament in the spring! Not many Trainers are very used to crowds, so I like to give them a small taste.” She gives me a knowing wink. “Makes sense, non?”

I give a faux-exasperated sigh. “Never enough theatrics for you, huh?” I joke.

“Never.”

“Alright then. Yossele?”

{Yes?}

“Let’s give ‘em a show.”


Hearing Mattie’s words, I know I have to make an entrance. Having only one way I can fathom to do this, I use my jets to rocket into the arena. I land on my feet, assuming what Mattie always calls a “superhero landing”. The people watching seem to like it, as I hear them cheering.

However, and more importantly, my jets are working properly. That is good.

“Your friends are impressive,” I hear Caoineadh say to me. “Even though the battle with that golbat was over quickly, he got a couple of hits in. I hope you will entertain me as well.” She gives me a bow, just like she did with Jonathan. I return the bow, and as I do so I tap my chest sigil, enveloping me in my Iron Defense aura.

“I will certainly try,” I say, assuming my stance.

“Alright, everyone, let’s start the final round! Begin!”

“Caoineadh, start with a Shadow Ball!”

“Dodge and hit her with Shadow Punch!”

I have seen enough of Fantina’s pokémon to know how to dodge this. Not waiting until the last moment, I dry-fire my left arm and juke out of the way as an ectoplasmic ball slams into the ground, kicking up dust. I use the force of the impact to rocket me towards the mismagius, and clothesline her with a fist cloaked in hellfire. She barrels into the ground, as I land a few yards away.

“Caoineadh, get up and throw him off you a bit! Psybeam!”

Faster than I expect, the mismagius levitates from the ground and hits me with a multicolored ray of energy. I put up my arms to deflect some of the impact, but I definitely feel it press into my form and invade my mind. However, the pain is not enough to addle my brain. I am still entirely focused on her.

“Alright, good shit!” I hear Mattie say. While she’s low, try to hit her with a Stomping Tantrum!”

“Out of the way, Caoineadh!”

I try to land a swing at her body, but my anger isn’t exactly propelling my fist as much as it sometimes does, and the mismagius is able to juke out of the way. She then flies far above the railing, where I can’t reach her.

“Good thinking, dear!” Fantina exclaims. “Shadow Ball from that height, keep your distance!”

Before I am able to respond, I am slammed in the chest by a shadowy orb, blasting me into the crater Juneau had left behind. I struggle to get to my feet, but am able to do so. Caoineadh is floating far from me, giving off a satisfied grin.

It is time to wipe that smile from her face.

Looking at Mattie, I give the signal. I hold my right arm up, and cock the jets in both like a shotgun. As my fists power up, I begin to sense the heat emanating from both of them, threatening to blow. Mattie meets my gaze. She understands immediately.

“Okay, Yosie, I’m trusting you!” she says. “Mega Punch!”

I rocket as quickly as possible under the mismagius, then trigger a little bit of gas as I let my fist propel me off the ground. As Caoineadh moves out of the way, I reposition my body, reel my fist back…


...and slam headfirst into the ground as my arm misfires. For the fifth time tonight, the maneuver does not work. Mattie rushes over to me and heals my arm with a Potion.

“You almost had it that time, Yosie, you’re so close!” she says, trying to reassure me.

{But I do not know what else I can do,} I respond. {I have tweaked my hand position, arm temperature, everything. What can I do to make it better?}

“I mean, I dunno,” she says, taking out her notebook. “My best guess is that it’s the timing. You might be holding it for just a little too long. Maybe try it just a bit earlier?”

I shake out my arm, still feeling a little sore from the constant repetition. {I will try,} I say. {I want this to work.} Getting to my feet, I reset my position, pre-loading my arm jets again. Lurching forward, I rocket upwards, pull my fist back, and just a tiny bit earlier than my previous attempts…


“Air Dash Fire Punch!”

My right fist bursts into flame as my left arm fires a powerful jet, spinning my body around. I straighten my arm, my frame rotating faster and faster with centripetal force and inertia. The mismagius can only watch in stunned shock as I slam my flaming fist into her body, the two of us crashing into the ground like a meteorite. We are surrounded by dust upon impact, obscuring the crowd’s vision of us. I am slow to get up, but Caoineadh is slower, rising limply with a dazed look in her eyes. She looks up at me, wincing at the burn in her side.

“That … was amazing,” she says, the smile still on her face. “I will remember this battle for a long time.” Her form begins to glow purple as she summons another Shadow Ball.

“Yosie, Shadow Punch!”

Hearing Mattie’s command, my right fist flares with blue flame.

“I am glad you think so too.”


“Caoineadh is unable to battle. Yossele wins the battle, and Mattie Kasdan wins the match!”

The crowd erupts, and I feel myself cheering along with them. I practically vault over the railing and tackle Yossele in a hug.

“Holy shit, you got it!” I exclaim. “That was so fucking cool, I can’t believe that worked so well, oh my Arceus, that was amazing, aaaaahhhh!!”

I feel Yossele tap on my shoulder. Two fingers. Though I don’t want to, I let go of him to see him sign. {I am glad it worked so well. She was impressed.}

“As she should be,” I whisper.

“My dear!” I look up to see Fantina walking towards me. “My dear, surprising, high-flying Mattie Kasdan,” she continues, slowly clapping. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so spectacular in all my years of acting as a Gym Leader! Why, I’m practically speechless!”

“You, speechless?” I laugh. “Get outta here! You’re talking now!”

“...touché,” she chuckles. “However, quite frankly, the words are not important.” She reaches into a bag she’s wearing around her shoulders and produces a small, purple pin. Three circles form a lineless triangle at its border. “Mathilda Kasdan, I present to you the Relic Badge!” she continues. “May you accept and wear it with pride.”

As I take the badge, the crowd cheers once more. The two of us are smiling from ear to ear. And then…

“Hey, before I go, could I ask you to do something really quick?”

“Of course, anything!”

I reach into my pocket and produce the Blu-Ray. “Can you sign this for me?”

There’s a moment of silence. And then Fantina begins to laugh. “Oh my goodness, a fan to the end, aren’t you?” She takes the case from me. “I would be happy to, Mattie. But not just as an actor, but as a friend.” She gives me a warm smile. “These past few days have been lovely for me, and I hope that you feel the same.”

“Yeah, it was cool,” I reply. “Thank you so much. For everything.”

“I’m very glad.” She backs away a little bit, going over to Caoineadh as she grabs a Potion. “I have another battle later today, and it would be nice if you and Aiden could watch!”

“Uh, sure, of course!” I say. “Who’s the opponent?”

“Oh, he’s another Trainer from Unova, like you. His name is David. Why do you ask?”

Oh.

Fuck.

Hahaha oh Mattie.



Aw this is cute to imagine heh.

So Christine evolved and her battling instincts went a tad calmer it seems, though she's still obsessed with strength. Hm, I thought there would be a key event where Christine's obessession with strength went out of hand that there would be consequences. Maybe that'll still bound to happen eventually.

I do enjoy the rest of the battle, though! I like Raiju's X-Ray vision being put to use and Yossele being boss as usual. Also neat Fantina has a Dhelmise there. And oh boy, a reappearance from David, that should be interesting.

Hullo! I’m here from the Longform Exchange, and pulling some college-student-tier bullshit by submitting this sooo close to the deadline Ironically, in no small part due to college!

I went into Ionization completely blind, so upon reading the description my hyperactive mind imagined something fast-paced where Mattie would have to stop a resurgence of Team Plasma in Sinnoh, all while evading the authorities who want her hide for her criminal connections or something. Interestingly, Ionization seems to be the opposite – a slow-paced, slice of life thing which is more centered around Mattie, her friends, and her journey than it is any actual evil teams. There are the shadows of an overarching plot with that Paulson company and David, the ever-douchey arsebutt, but for the most part it plays out more like the pokemon anime than it does the pokemon games… except, you know, with actual characters whose idea of “deep” goes beyond a few running gags and romance teases. Overall, a fun read!

Immediately, the premise makes this story stand out from others: Mattie Kasdan wants to go on a trainer journey in Sinnoh, but her ability to do so will no doubt be hampered by her criminal background as a grunt in Team Plasma. It caught my attention quickly, and didn’t let go – the story doesn’t hesitate to exploit this piece of Mattie’s past, whether through what she does, doesn’t, and almost says, the “””talks””” every gym leader or league official pulls her aside for, or even her own psyche. This last part has its ups and downs, and I’ll go into that later.

The story is told in First Person, Present Tense – an unusual tense for most stories to be in, but it does a very good job of putting the reader in Mattie’s shoes. It also opens the door to some very humorous lines that wouldn’t work as well (or at all) outside of this tense, like


The whole thing gives me a very unique feel I can’t quite place, like Jane Eyre mixed with Diary of A Wimpy Kid – mostly in the abject, in-character narration and Mattie’s swear-laden snark that pervades every facet of the prose.


That said, I think the biggest perk of this style is the bursts of unreliable narrator. Because this is told solely from Mattie’s perspective without any omniscient supporting info, it’s very easy to believe in what she does wholeheartedly until told otherwise – for instance, that a boy who offers her a pill in the middle of the night isn’t creepy at all. I found myself disagreeing a bit with her take on how she treated David the second time she met. While she definitely shouldn’t have gotten all riled up with him like she did… he also had a spat with her, promised her they would meet again, and then followed her all the way to a gym and specifically asked to watch her battle. And also he’s rich and shady. That’s like, super creepy. If it were me, I’d definitely be all “Okay, why are you here; what do you want?” after the battle >.>

(Another, offhand note is that I found it very interesting the melatonin pill was orange – as someone who takes melatonin to sleep at night, I’ve always found them to be white, not orange. This made me initially wonder whether it was colored that way, or if it wasn’t melatonin in the first place…)

A downside of this style is that it feels very jarring when Mattie is pulled out of that mindset, and while that works well enough the first couple of times, it starts to get a bit old as it goes on. Towards the end of what I read, it feels like Mattie is just repeatedly being slapped in the face with new issues that come out of nowhere, even though she’s doing the best she can.

Aside from Mattie and her background issues, one of Ionization’s biggest perks is how it treats pokemon. It’s a running theme of the story here that pokemon are more than creatures to just throw around like mindless battle machines, and the story takes every opportunity it can to emphasize this, from having Yossele communicate with Mattie via sign language to giving the pokemon their own distinct personalities to even giving them their own POVs at points. While the majority of the POV scenes go to Yossele, the personalities of the other three members on Mattie’s team get across too – Raiju (not kaiju, but he probably wishes) is a wannabe pack alpha kitty, Jonathan thinks every battle is a pokemon showcase, and Christine doesn’t plan to let anyone else boss her around. They’re very fun, and actually get sufficient time to stick around and goof off, instead of being in their balls all the time.

Another interesting thing I noticed were the offhanded references to real-world things, like chickens or the book Dracula. While barely on-screen, those things set a precedent that drastically differentiates the world of Ionization from the normal pokemon world - do animals exist here? And also popular literature? What about other things, like IRL movies and franchise chains? Why don't we see more of this? It feels like thee things would alter how the world works immensely, yet here they're regulated to the background without a second thought.

You

You had the chance to make The Obvious Dracula Reference (™) and you named your zubat after Jonathan Harker instead

I’m not sure whether that’s a class act or a missed opportunity, tbh 

Ionization sometimes comes across as a little more fluff-filled than it needs to be, though. I am of the opinion that you should absolutely torture your characters to bring out their true flaws and virtues, and Ionization is at its best when it does exactly that (for instance, the Team Plasma confrontation at the steelworks or Mattie’s struggles with her past as a plasma grunt). Granted, it’s also at its best when it shows Mattie and co. just goofing off and having fun for a bit, but sometimes – specifically towards the end of the eighteen currently-published chapters – it feels like there’s a bit too much of the latter. I found myself getting kind of bored around the time Mattie and Co. met up with Fantina, and even the outburst over why Mattie shouldn’t have confronted that trainer and “saved” the ralts only served to pick the plot up for a little bit.

Which leads me to my next negative point: This confrontation felt absolutely out of place and out of the blue. Like, it’s just so random and uncalled for on Aiden’s part. I was frankly pretty shocked that Aiden and the others got off the hook like that – even if it is an issue that Mattie needs to deal with, it feels hypocritical of Aiden to grill Mattie for not telling her that she was a team plasma grunt off the bat, then keep this concealed from Mattie and then tell Mattie’s friends behind her back?? Frankly, it feels a lot like emotional manipulation for them all to just turn around and say “well, you have an issue, so this automatically justifies going behind your back like this”. Needless to say, I wasn’t sold.

Another area where this fic began to break my suspension of disbelief was around the time that Mattie just begins to meet and goof off with all these celebrities. The gym leaders Mattie met were doing their jobs for the most part, and Mattie just helped out. Which is believable, and I thought they were handled well for the most part. But then Mattie and Aiden meet Cynthia, the Former Pokemon Champion, and she’s just out in the middle of the wild hiking, I guess? I find it pretty hard to believe that a former champion and clear celebrity would have the time or freedom to do things like that. Even if she and her fiancé were able to get away from all the paparazzi, literally every trainer ever would die for a chance to do what Mattie and Aiden are just getting handed – it feels Too Good To Be True. And it may be, who knows. But that’s not really consistent with what I’ve read so far, so I’m inclined to believe that everything is just on the level. Which is just a bit too convenient for my tastes.


this speaks to me

Overall, I like the vibes this fic has. While I think it could be a bit faster paced, and it seems to clash in places (the slice-of-life feel of Mattie’s trainer journey compared with her dark past), it feels like that clashing is often the point. And this fic excels in so many other places that in the long run, it’s easily excusable. I await to see what the overarching plot will look like – three badges into a journey of just eight and the villains (?) have barely reared their heads, yet they’re clearly lurking somewhere. I wonder how that inevitable confrontation between David and Mattie will go, when she watches his battle…

~SparklingEspeon

Listening to: Eclipse, Dune – Pink Floyd

I'm proud of Christine. :D She's doing a fine job overcoming her stubbornness and prideful tendencies thus far. And it's good that she was called out on the guilt trip, putting a stop to that sort of thing early might help her avoid falling into nasty, manipulative habits.

Also, the gym battle was fun. Always cool to see a dhelmise, and of course I always enjoy a good pokémon POV section. :D I might have mentioned something to this effect before, but the fact that the POV is a golett makes for some especially neat little details, such as the fact that this is someone who can refer to jets as part of their anatomy. There's something you don't see in just any old species!

Alright!! This is my Chapter 1 review for Book Club. I gotta say, that opening chapter was awesome! It was a nice build-up, and kept the focus tight. I love Yoselle - and the fact that it can communicate in a realistic way that isn't telekinesis. Been marathoning the movies lately, and I was sick of pokemon using telekinesis to speak, but I *love* that Yoselle picked it up from Mattie's family and home life. I really liked the bond you have set up between the two of them. Speaking of, I loved seeing the fact we have someone older starting on their journey! And how she has to be reminded to take it easy on the ten year olds because they have no money haha. A nice nod to how little money you get fighting the route 1 trainers in the game. I am so intrigued by Mattie's past as a Team Plasma grunt! Even if it was low-level and just to get money for school, it will be interesting to hear more about her history and time there. It speaks even more to her character that she turned herself in. Overall, this is a really solid start, and I'm so excited to read chapter two!